Preparing for icy winter storm

Road conditions are going to get slick later in the weekend during the incoming storm.

Roads in Waterloo will continue to stay dry until late Sunday night. The Iowa Department of Transportation is starting to prepare for the icy conditions this weekend.

The ground is frozen, making it difficult to absorb any more rain, but a wintery mix is on it's way. KWWL's meteorologists say that mix will instantly turn to ice when it hits our road ways. The Iowa DOT is preparing.

"If we can get ahead of it and get that first coat on the road that would be the best way to do it," said Barry Thede, Waterloo's Iowa DOT.

Thede says he has more than 20 trucks full of salt and brine ready to take on this weekend's storm and the potentially icy roads.

"As of now we are preparing for it to start out as freezing rain and we want to get ahead of it as much as we can," said Thede. "We want to get a treatment underneath so it creates less friction between the ice and the road so that when the sun does come out it melts a lot quicker."

Thede saying the weather probably won't stop people from traveling this holiday weekend.

"A lot of people don't have to work so they are going to go to take care of stuff that they have to," said Thede. "You also have to have the people that have to work that need to get to the places that are open, but with the ice it doesn't matter how good a driver you are you're not going to get around on it very easy."

Thede says the DOT is waiting until Sunday to start the treatments, but they will be on their toes Saturday in case they need to start treating sooner.

Thede says if you do travel this weekend, be cautious and make sure you have emergency equipment like a fully charged cell phone.